Refrigerator tray



J y 1935- w.'H. CONNORS 2,006,442

REFRIGERATOR TRAY Filed Sept. 8, 1954 OOCPQQ INVENTOR.

a m 0m Cam was Patented July 2, 1935 2,006,442

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE REFRIGERATOR TRAY William Haydn Connors, Denver, Colo.

Application September 8, 1934, Serial No. 73,190

1 Claim. (Q1. 62-1891) This invention relates to a container supportasheif plate it of sheet metal, preferably of anoning shelf for refrigerators. It is more particucorrosive metal or plated or covered with a prolarly designed for refrigerators of the mechanical tective enamel or other coating. The extremities type, that is, refrigerators that do not employ of shelf plate 55 are formed with upturned flanges 5 ice as the refrigerant. Refrigerators of this type it for engagement with the usual shelf support- 5 collect moisture from the enclosed air which ing member is or with one of the usual open grid forms as frost on the cooling element. This tend shelves M, with which refrigerators are usually ency to collect moisture results in a drying out provided. of the food products in the refrigerating chamber. The shelf plate i5 is formed with a, series of To prevent this drying eflect closed pans or concut out portions ll of suitable size and shape 10 tainers, known to the trade as hydrators, are for receivinganumber of hydrator pans I 8. The used for containing the foods and preventing eshydrator pans l8 are formed with a peripheral cape of the moisture. These hydrators are inconflange or bead 19 about their open tops which venient to use owing to the fact that it is difprevents them from passing entirely through the :ficult to reach those in the rear of a shelf without cut outs ll. When in place in the cut outs, the 15 removing the entire shelf contents at the front. bead l9 rests upon the top of the shelf plate Other articles will also be placed on top of I! as shown in Fig. 2. the hydrators which must be removed before the The shelf plate I5 is perforated by a series contents are accessible. of ventilating holes 20 throughout its entire area 20 The principal object of this invention is to proso as to allow the circulating air of the refrlg- 20 vide a support for such hydrators which will 9.1- crating compartment to pass freely upward and low any desired hydrator to be instantly reached downward therethrough. without disturbing any of the remaining refrig- Each of the hydrators I8 is covered by a. relaerator contents and which will allow the entire tively flat lid 2|, preferably moulded from transarea over the hydrators to be used as shelf storparent glass. The edges of the lids 2| turn 25 age space. downwardly to engage and surround the beads Another object of the invention is to so con- IQ of the hydrators. struct the invention that it will be applicable to In use the shelf plate I5 is slid into place immeany refrigerator and so that it will not interfere diately below the shelf grid ll of the refrigerator with the normal circulation of air through the and does not interfere in any way with the 30 refrigerating compartment. full use of the shelf I 4. Should the user desire Other objects and advantages reside in the deaccess to any of the hydrators he simply draws tail construction of the invention, which is dethe shelf plate I 5 outwardly to expose the lid signed for simplicity, economy, and efliciency. of the desired hydrator. The entire hydrator These will become more apparent from the folcan then be lifted from the shelf plate and re- 35 lowing description. moved, or its cover may be removedto give access In the following detailed description of the into the contained food articles.

.vention reference is had to the accompanying The transparent glass covers allow the user drawing which forms a part hereof. Like nuto view all of the hydrator contents so that no merals refer to like parts in all views of the drawtime is lost in locating the desired articles. It 40 ing and throughout the description. is desired to call attention to the fact that the In the drawing:--- lids 2! pass snugly beneath the grid shelf M Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective view illusso that there is no wastage of valuable comparttrating a form of the invention in place in a rement space.

frigerator. If additional hydrator space is required, a sec- 45 Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the invention. ond shelf plate, with its contained hydrators can,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section therethrough, he slid into place over the first without interfertaken on the line 3-3, Fig. 2. ing with the full, convenient use of the latter.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section taken on While a specific form of the improvement has the line 4 4,Fig. 2. been described and illustrated herein, it is de--' 50 A typical refrigerator is indicated at H! with sired to be understood that the same may be its door at ll,-refrigerating compartment at 2, varied, within the scope of the appended claim, shelf supporting means at l3,- and one of the usual without departing from the spirit of the invenopen grid shelves at It. tion.

The preferred form of the invention comprises Having thus described the invention, what is 55 claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent \fto flt said cut outs and extend above said plate: is: and lids covering said hydrators and positioned A container shelf for refrigerators comprisingz' between said plate and said refrigerator shelf, a metallic plate; upwardly extending members there being ventilating perforations formed in 5 at the extremities of said plate for suspending said plate.

and spacing said plate from a shelf in a refrig- WILLIAM HAYDN CONNORS. erator; cut outs in said plate; hydrators shaped 

